Darine Stern

Stern was the first black woman to appear by herself on the cover of Playboy in the magazine's October 1971 issue. Her appearance followed Jean Bell who was featured on the magazine's January 1970 cover, but with four other models.

She began her career in the late '60s as a 'Playboy Bunny' serving cocktails at the Playboy Club on Walton Street in the Gold Coast section of Chicago. There she acquired various admirers including Bill Cosby and her soon-to-be-husband, David Ray.[3]

After marrying Ray, she settled into the role of being a dentist's wife, and stepmother to Ray's son. She had various jobs in advertising, hostessing, and bank telling. That changed when a photographer visiting her bank asked to take her photograph, images which subsequently came to the attention of the Playboy editorial team.

Following her cover on Playboy, Stern went on to become a high-profile model and she was represented by Ford Models, Nina Blanchard, Ellen Harth and Shirley Hamilton Models of Chicago and New York, even doing some European runways. After a short time in Los Angeles, she returned to Chicago to work as a fashion director, image consultant and costume designer. She created Darine Stern Agency to foster the careers of emerging models.[3]

She died on February 5, 1994 due to complications of breast cancer.[2]